i knew i had to come back to this city the minute i even stepped foot in amsterdam. the city hits you hard with this fantastic, crazy, mad vibe – and you get addicted, so quickly, that it’s too late by the time you realise.

sounds too much ;)? well it’s true.

we felt that vibe again this time. A’s first time {he’s made me promise we go every year once}

once we got off our cab to the hotel from the airport, dropped our bags in the hotel lobby and headed straight to the coffee shop, which happened to be right next door to our hotel {we didn’t book the hotel knowing that just btw – it was simply a coincidence}.

the spirit of the people, the personalities, backed with the live and let live judgment-free attitude of just about everyone we met was what attracted me to the city at the first instance. oh and the beauty! how can we ignore the beauty?

we visited the artis zoo, the van gogh musuem, walked around dam square, ate some frites (with extra mayo), tried the food at avocado story, shopped at the 6-story primark on dam square, met local friends, smoked with local friends, sat in the park by the museum for hours doing absolutely nothing, gorged on the cheese and ham toasties, bought local souvenirs {all of which had something marijuana in them} and sat by the beautiful canals at mid night under the stars talking. just the amsterdam usual ;)

well if all things go A’s way – see you again next year. and the year after …

since we had around 15 days in the UK we decided to club london with another place around. at first we zeroed in on scotland as we have family there. but then while researching we realised that scotland should be a trip on its own – it has so much to offer and we didn’t have enough time. closer to our trip our cousins in Scotland informed us that they would be spending a week in lake district around the same time we were in the UK. and so – it all worked out perfectly!

we rented out this beautiful house in penrith. around 8 of us (+ the cutest labrador – fia). we had just three nights / two days but we packed the days with so many activities that our time there seemed longer. looking back this part of our trip was on of our absolute favorites. I recommend lake district to everyone who makes a trip to the UK. it is simply stunning, peaceful, quiet and just about every where you go you feel you are in a post card picture.

on our first morning our cousins had booked this really fun go ape activity – which involves climbing trees (with harness of course) and making your way from one tree to another by rope through fun hurdles. each stage of this activity {there are 5 stages} ends with zip lining.

^^ view from my room in lake district ^^

^^ go ape!! these pictures are from our trial round and it gets much tougher and higher as you move forward in stages – but you have a harness so it is safe and you tend to get more comfortable as you go forward ^^

once we were done with our go-ape activities we got back from and had a big meal of veg / non-veg sausages, bread, veggies and cheese. then we headed to one of the quieter non-commercial lakes close to our rented house for a swim

we also visited the shops at a close by town called keswick – which was super picturesque and we tried the best homemade fudge

^^ keswick ^^

we ended the day watching the england croatia match – which england lost btw, but the energy was so high that day – which had been near perfect, so the defeat didn’t seem as disappointing as it normally would have been.

Day 2

we went on a hike close near the village of hawkshead. the walk seemed smooth and easy and we passed by a few ponds on the way but as we got higher it got much steeper and i had to take A’s help during the last 10 minutes of the trail to the top. but boy! was the view worth it all.

^^ view from the top! i almost couldn’t believe we had climbed all the way ^^

on the way back from the trek we stopped by at cute home turned cafe for some homemade cake and scones. you got to do the same if you ever go up to lake district. the carrot cake was the best i’ve ever eaten

^^ the homemade scones with clotted cream and fresh jam ^^

we ended the day and our time at lake district with a round of go-karting. this wasn’t just ordinary go-karting. lewis hamilton apparently practices at this track during his time off. we also saw loads of other professionals practicing when we reached. it was very intimidating and i almost backed out of the whole thing. but then – was egged on by my cousins and gave it a go. i’m glad i did!

^^ in our race gear ;) ^^

all in all it was an activity packed two days. more than the activities we were glad we got to spend quality time with our cousins who we don’t get to see very often. as you grow older (i am 30 now!) you realise that family and loved ones are most important and everything else is a far second.

what i love doing almost as much as i like traveling to places is writing about my experiences of the travel after i’m back home. it’s like re-visiting all the fun moments in my mind. also – blog about these experiences because i always want to be able to look back at them and never forget all these moments

there are so many other places in london i loved so let’s take this forward…

Liverpool Street / Tower Bridge

we went to liverpool street often as we even took our train to colchestor (essex) A’s ex university from there. also on my birthday which we celebrated in London, adi took me to this Michelin star restaurant city social for lunch, which was right off the liverpool street underground station, and when we were visiting the tower bridge, we walked there from the liverpool street station – and that walk from the station to tower bridge made me want to live in london. we saw such beautiful restaurants, cafes, streets and just everything about the area made me want to live there.

tower bridge has some of the best views of london. there’s also a nice area with some good restaurants. we ate at ping pong because – we were in london and this was ping pong. a few local friends also recommended the spitalfield market by the liverpool street – we didn’t get the chance this time – but maybe the next trip!

Regent Park

one of the other great things about london are its parks! they have one just about everywhere. it’s amazing to see such green cities. wish we could have more of these in mumbai. helps so much with the pollution.

regent park is definitely one of the most beautiful parks i’ve seen. it feels like a fairly land in some bits. the flowers. the trees and the squirrels running across. we walked there one morning after spending the whole night out. it was slightly awkward wearing our party clothes while others were in their sports wear. but we weren’t tired. and it was one of my favorite little moments of the trip with A alone.

King’s cross

before i visited london – king’s cross meant 9 3/4th for me. being a harry potter fan. but king’s cross is so much more. it’s one of london’s busiest stations. with connectivity to almost all the major cities in europe. it also has an office district at walking distance. we visited the google office and their rooftop terrace has some of the best private views of the city. it also has some great outdoor areas and bars. we tried getting into a few on friday night but since most of the bars were packed we did what we saw hoards of other youngsters doing – going to waitrose picking up beers / wine / cocktails and sitting on the floor below a beautiful arch, enjoying the views and the drinks. and i preferred it so much more than i would have going to a bar around!

so there were a lot of other places i liked and some not so much. 7 dials is a cute shopping area, carnaby street is also fun place to chill at for a night. lots of people recommended shoreditch which i did not manage to go to. and then of course all the other touristy places you can’t miss when in london, being convent gardens, Leicester square, Piccadilly, Trafalgar square, notting hill {avoid going to the portobello street market on the weekends in summer – it is packed with people, even for mumbai standards ;)}, st. pauls cathedral, buckingham palace.

See that’s the thing about london – no matter how much you have covered there’s always so much more to see and do. i could spend an entire month there and still not cover all the recommendations we got from friends and relatives. you need to keep coming back and discovering it some more.

A and i had gone to santorini, greece last summer to celebrate the wedding of our close friends Neil and Melanie. Neil and Melanie are A’s friends from the time he studied at the university of essex. at the wedding we met so many of A’s friends from england that we had decided then itself that london would be our next summer destination.

the UK visa application process is terrible and one must leave aside at least week to just finish the application process. it also takes around 20-25 days to receive your visa. but the destination is well worth the wait :)

we took the jet airways direct flight to heathrow london {which is great, quick and easy – except the meals ofcourse} and a black cab {which is a lot more expensive than an uber but worth an one time experience of the famous black cabs} from the airport to preston road, where we stayed during our entire visit. at first, a lot of people mentioned that staying in central london was a better idea as its closer and saves on travel time. but looking back, i wouldn’t have had it any other way. the houses in preston road are very cute and comfortable and the area is so calm and peaceful. a perfect place to come back to after your time exploring the crazy, busy central city.

most of our travel was via underground. so convenient! reminded me SO much of new york city. also the oyster cards are super helpful and far more reasonable and quicker then buying individual tickets. the underground gives you a great idea of the city layout and the connectivity is simply amazing. there’s a stop that can take you just about everywhere in central london.

okay wow this is reading awfully like an informative post – so pictures and a list of some of my favorite places in London!

South Bank

i cannot recommend this enough. i loved everything about walking by south bank. the restaurants / bars, the random street acts, the skating rink {yes there’s a skating rink by the river! and it super awesome}, the carousel {i mean can this be dreamier?} and the food / music festivals.

somehow every time we were in central london we found our selves gravitating towards south bank.

some nice places to eat / drink and visit in and around south bank :

go to the food festivals! there’s loads of variety and drinks and its also a great vibe. there’s almost always a food festival during the summer seasons.

we also went to this really nice wine bar – gordon’s wine bar right by the embankment underground station – which is located inside a beautiful small park.

for mexican – lupita which is on the other wise the bridge just of the charring cross station does good authentic mexican

Windsor

Okay so technically windsor isn’t in london. its about 30 to 45 mins by train from london paddington or london waterloo.

i was teased a lot by A for wanting to visit windsor – royal tourism at its best, considering meghan and harry just got married at the windsor palace a month before, but honestly i am so glad i insisted and didn’t succumb to the pressure. windsor is almost magical. with the river, ducks, beautiful riverside restaurants, castles and the charming old-town vibe. the shopping is great too

we didn’t go inside the castle – but we did manage to take a walk around the town. we had brunch at this amazing restaurant called browns brasserie and bar and A insists that they served the best fish and chips he’d ever had.

^^ special shout out to these amazing malteser milkshake at shakeaway. it was out of this world and unfortunately i have no pictures of it to prove it ^^

Camden Town

a bit clichéd but i loved camden. mostly camden market, with all the quirky – vegan food stalls. and the vibe. and the wall art. and the murals. i could go on. A and i went there first when we had just a couple of hours to kill near london euston before we caught the train to lake district {more on that in a separate post} both of us liked it enough to come back two times after. we had food at a Venezuelan {?? i could be wrong here} food truck. something that tasted like kebabs in pita pockets with hot sauce and salad. A tricked me into trying the lamb and beef ones – i thought it was chicken the whole time and kept telling him how tasty it was. only when we were done did he tell me i was having a mince of lamb and beef the whole time. it was all in good humor though and i’m kinda glad i tried it. i wish i was more adventurous with my food choices. it would make A a lot happier, for one thing.

okay so this post is way too long and i am still only halfway through my list, so let’s continue this in the next post??

two of my friends and I took a short weekend trip to sri-lanka last month.

we went back and forth a lot before finalizing the destination. since we had just 4 days and it was only the three of us.

we short-listed galle, which is in the southern province of sri lanka, as our base because of its beautiful beaches and old Portuguese fort town vibe.

BUT the highlight of our trip was by far the amazing villa we stayed in {pictures below}. I cannot recommend this place enough. it was small {just three rooms}, served amazing breakfast, had a cozy vibes and we almost had the place to ourselves completely.

on our last day we left for Colombo early {our flight back was from here} and spent the day in Colombo – which to me was quite the surprise. I did not expect to enjoy the city so much. it was a short but wonderful few hours in the country’s capital.

^^ the beautiful villa we stayed in, which was about a 10 minute tutu ride to galle fort area. it looks like a homestay but its a hotel with the friendliest staff. and a small restaurant – which serves food all day ^^

^^ this is where we sat all day lazing around playing mono deal and eating and drinking when we weren’t outside ^^

^^ the breakfast area – I love how everything in the villa was so open and minimalistic ^^

^^ our room – yes that’s an open bathroom, it was slightly awkward walking in to this, considering we were sharing a room between the three of us, but we figured out our bath plans soon enough ;) ^^

today {which is a fairly light work day} I got several linked in pop up emails with some of my ex colleagues congratulating me on my ‘work anniversary’. I clicked on the links out of curiosity – what work anniversary was this? it had only been 10 months since I joined Platinum. the link connected me to my work anniversary here {I had added the url of this blog to my linked in page a long time ago}. then it hit me, I started this blog 5 years ago, today.

I still remember typing out my first blog post those many years ago. at a different desk on a different computer. I was so passionate about this little project. it was something I had been thinking about for so very long. it was like my very own online diary – noting down all the events, days and moments of my life which I didn’t want to forget. at some point I even wanted to make a career out of it {I still wouldn’t mind actually, if that could work ;)}

SO much has changed since. I’ve moved houses and jobs and met new people. I still look through the blog posts and feel so grateful for all of my experiences {a big reason I started this in the first place – is gratitude}

over time blog posts have appeared less often. but they haven’t stopped. haven’t let go of this domain name and don’t plan to.

my new year resolution for 2017 amongst several others was to blog more. and I plan to stick to it. even if it’s probably a little to late in the year. that’s okay…

life right now? is all about my new job {which is not so new anymore}, oscillating between being overly ambitious on some days and a wanting to be a house wife on others, marriage {so much to learn, such a long way to go}, family {trying to spend more time with my old and making an effort to get to know the new}, my absolutely adorable niece {who we ALL obsess over} and the moments in between – traveling, hanging with friends and just being.

other random facts/things ..

my new favorite gift to give – {specially when you have limited notice} – ellipsis bakery - you can order their glutton-free or multigrain products on scootsy and they deliver it at your doorstep within 20 mins all packed up.

athens, a stark contrast from the rest of the places we visited in Greece, has its negatives and positives.

few parts of the city give you a slightly creepy vibe. something about it makes you feel unsafe. but then some parts are just so beautiful that you can’t believe that all these parts belong to the same city.

more then 50% of Greece’s total population lives in athens. you can tell, athens is v. crowded. and filled with people of different ethnicity {which isn’t really the case elsewhere in Greece}.

we didn’t get much time here but managed to see quite a lot of the city {courtesy the sweetest lady taxi driver we met at the port, who offered to take us around the city in a day, at a fixed cost. I have her email address – for any one planning to visit Greece soon}

we visited the acropolis, the placa, temple of zeus, chapel of st. George, the national library, the supreme court, monastiraki square and the Olympic stadium.

we got v lucky. the sky was an amazing unforgettable blue that day and all the pictures we took – turned out so well.

^^ Athens is also the city of graffitis {I haven’t read this anywhere but its what I would call Athens otherwise} there seriously is not a place other than the famous monuments which is not covered in graffiti ^^

^^ this is the view from a really cool rooftop bar we went into inside the hotel A for Athens ^^

^^ fancy blingy pants i bought at a shop on the road. I really really love them ^^

^^ the most amazing dinner at our hotel restaurant, the grecotel pallas Athena which only didn’t top the list of our favorite meals in Greece coz A and I had a silly argument throughout the meal. I cant even remember why!^^

^^ the good parts of Athens^^

also since this is the end to all the Greece vacation posts- I feel the need to conclude with how A always somehow manages to win people over in all the trips we do together. it’s so v strange but every time I travel with him I see the impact he leaves behind. it may be a conversation with the taxi driver in Athens or an old lady we met at the ferry who we played uno with, but when we say our good byes they are always so emotional {and that has so much more to do with A than I} he always manages to strike up an interesting conversation and talk to them about things that matter to them. there’s so much I learn from him even after all these years.

something I always want to remember when i’m mad at him about silly things.

“Vacation is so often cast as a luxury now … a bourgeois game of Instagram tagging and food photos. But for me, in Sifnos, I came to know it as the time in the year when you find not only rest, but also the strength you need to meet your work and your life when you return to them. In the years since, it’s been hard to be an American writer and take vacations like this. But I would never want to live the other way — without them — again“

excerpt from an interesting article on new york times I read the other day. its about a writer who visited a remote Greek island and on the writer ‘learning’ to take a vacation.

don’t get me wrong. I vacation like how most people do. Instagram tagging, food photos and the works.. visiting the most popular islands and making sure I cover them all even if I end up spending as little as two days in each.

no way of vacationing is right or wrong. but i would want to try it the other way next time. rent an apartment. for a month or two even. go some where unpopular. read books, draw, paint or cook. explore the city/island/village. like really explore. go to places that aren’t necessarily touristy.

the closest we came to doing that in Greece, was at Paros. Adi and I both read about the island online. we didn’t know of any one who had visited there, before we made our bookings. but the pictures looked stunning and so we took a shot at it.

and to be honest, before our ferry ride from Santorini to Paros we almost contemplated cancelling and staying back in Santorini for a few more days. all our friends were going to be staying back longer and we did love our time with them.

but the bookings were done {non-refundable} and so we went along.

boy, am I glad we did?! it was the surprise element of the trip. I still remember walking into the main street of Naoussa, Paros from our hotel up in the hill. I had to stop walking just sink it all in. everything was so picturesque in Naoussa. there were ducks, cafes, octopuses and boats. all of a sudden. out of nowhere. and there was this buzz. {not loud or touristy like in Mykonos but just quiet local buzz}

we ended up eating Italian that night {finally we had had too much of souvlaki}. after dinner we walked around the cute little town and then headed back to our hotel, sat on the deck and talked. a lot. under the stars. that moment, it was all SO perfect – that we made a pact to come back. maybe on our 10 year anniversary. but this time with family and friends.

the next day, I wanted to book a boat and explore the caves in anti-paros, but eventually we decided to stay in and explore the island instead. we took a local bus to parikia. walked around the town. prayed at some churches along the way. bought some nic nacs and then spent two hours eating brunch and chatting with a local greek at a bar in parikia.

at night we made reservations at one of the most famous restaurants in naoussa {or all of Paros, as we learnt later} called Yemeni. we got a table which was lucky because apparently they are always booked out and you need to make reservations weeks in advance. we tried the beetroot truffle risotto, zuchhini flower balls and stuffed mushrooms. and washed it all down with a bottle of local white wine for dessert they got us a chocolate cake with ice cream {which we didn’t order, it was on the house}. it was by far our best meal of the trip.

we headed back to Athens the next morning with such a heavy heart. if I had to redo my vacation in Greece, I would have definitely spent a lot more days exploring Paros. this island, there was something magical about it.

^^ view from our room in hotel papadakis. the best part of visiting a non-touristy place are the hotel prices. ;)} ^^

^^ some more hotel pics^^

^^ downtown Naoussa^^

^^ first Italian meal in Greece. I think my favorite thing to do during a vacation is walking from one restaurant to another, reading their outdoor menus and eventually choosing the one you liked the most :) ^^

^^ brunch at acute bar in parikia ^^

^^ greek goodies I bought at the local store in parikia. as you can see, anything with olive oil – and I had to buy it ^^

Santorini was the expected highlight of our trip. we had a wedding to attend, and A was meeting his university friends after a v. long time {the last time we met them was at our wedding in Mumbai in 2015}

we spent three nights, three days here at a quaint colorful hotel Aquavatos at Kamari beach. although, not as popular as the well-known fira and oia, Kamari a.k.a. the black sand beach was one of my favorite places on the island. all the restaurants we tried here {at least 3-4 different ones} served excellent food. also, it’s home to some of the best bars I’ve seen {special recommendation: mango bar}

the day we landed, A had a bachelor night to go for and I, a hen party. the bride’s sister had planned it so brilliantly. we were about 15 girls, all from different parts of the world {when I say different I really mean it. we covered austria, phillipines, america, united kingdom, india and nigeria} the hen night started with some wine tasting at a winery. the venetsano winery in particular. this was where I first experienced the infamous Santorini view. i’d seen SO many pictures but nothing could prepare me for that. I still don’t think I could ever get over that VIEW.

we tried four different kind of wines all locally made accompanies with some tapas. it was very chilly and at some point during the tasting they had to give us blankets to cover up.

our next stop for the hen night was a restaurant in fira, blue volcano {semi decent food and v cute waiters ;)} I ate chicken souvlaki {no surprises} we watched the sunset there. and just when I thought the views couldn’t get better, they did. that’s the thing about Santorini, every part of the island takes you by surprise.

the night ended at the tango bar. and if you ever go to Santorini, this is one place you wouldn’t want to miss . the views from the bar were something else. so were the cocktails. and the people and the vibe. that night event though i was with a group of girls I had never met before, we got home when the sun came up. one of the best times I’ve had in greece.

… and then we spent almost all of the next day in bed {no surprises}.

at night I forced myself to get out. even if it was without Adi. i went with the bride and a group of her friends to an open air theatre in kamari {a first for me} and we saw king arthur under the stars with a glass of wine and LOTs of popcorn. my ultimate movie experience.

the wedding day

adi and I started the day early. we went on a small cruise ship to nea kamini {an active volcano}. on getting there, we had to trek to the top of island near the crater. Adi has always been so fascinated by volcanos and I cant remember the last time i saw him this excited about anything. he may have picked up atleast 20 volcanic rocks during the trek up to the crater, to take them back home to Mumbai.

after the trek to the top and back down, we got back to our little boat and on to the next stop: the volcano hot springs. highlight: we had to jump from the boat into the warm waters of the volcano spring. the mud by the shores of the island is said to be therapeutic and we rubbed the volcanic mud all over our bodies. aah. I need to go back just to do that again.

that evening, back in Santorini, we attended the most beautiful wedding ceremony. at the santos wines winery.

it was a Christian wedding {one of my firsts} between an indian boy, born and brought up in London, and a Pilipino girl, born and raised in austria. the wedding was a beautiful mix of different cultures getting together. that, right there, was what made it so special.

after the wedding we went to the theros wave bar for the reception and after party. and for some more wine and dancing.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” - Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky.

I cannot emphasize the importance of travel enough {especially when you are working a 9 to 9+ job like mine}

travel has the power to change you. change your perspective on things and just generally help you look at everything around you more positively and with less judgment.

about two weeks ago, we started our trip to Greece with Mykonos {i won’t count the few hours we spent in Athens before we caught the blue star ferry to Mykonos, because all we did was sleep.}

opting for ferries {cruise ships?} for our internal travel was one of the better choices we made. the waters of the aegean sea are so breathtaking and what better way to see it than by boat? you also pass by a whole lot of little islands on the way, each one with its own charm.

we stayed at a cute little all-white hotel on paradise beach called the Paradise View Hotel. the positives – its right by all the beach clubs {about a short 2 to 5 minutes walk, depending on the beach club}, there’s a bus stop right outside the main gate {with a bus taking you to mykonos town coming in every 30 mins}, amazing views of the beach and a beautiful hotel pool and jacuzzi easily accessible from all the rooms. the negatives – none really.

my favorite part about mykonos was mykonos old town. the white winding streets you see on all the greek postcards and movies, the windmills and of course, little venice. you could spend an entire day walking around old town. it’s also great for shopping {not if you’re me though. A would give me the worst look every time i even entered a shop. So lets just say i didn’t get to buy much in greece other than a few nic nacs to take back home for everybody}.

^^I would also recommend having a drink at one of the beautiful bars in little venice. we selected the coziest little bar with outstanding views of the old town and the sea ^^

^^For meals – we pretty much ate only souvlakis. you can tell from the different pictures of the all the souvlakis we tried. our favorite, by far, was the souvlaki at souvlaki story in mykonos old town^^

^^after much coaxing I also managed to convince A to accompany me to the tropicana beach party. i’m pretty sure he was glad we went. we had a blast. the music, the people and the view were all on point!^^

we had a v short stay in mykonos. there’s still so much more i would like to do. but that we can save for our next trip back to greece, because i am pretty sure we will be coming back :)